Public booking opens on Tuesday, May 20 for the Kirov Ballet’s greatly anticipated three-week summer season at the Royal Opera House, presented by Victor Hochhauser (July 21 – August 9, 2003)

The season includes five programmes including a sumptuous 4 Act version of La Bayadere, based on the 1900 Mariinsky version, and a reconstruction of Nijinsky’s ‘lost’ ballet The Rite of Spring. The swashbuckling Le Corsaire opens the season; Swan Lake offers audiences the opportunity to see some of the Kirov’s leading soloists and its matchless corps de ballet at the top of their form. Two triple bills complete the programme: Homage to Diaghilev: Chopiniana, Les Noces (new production) and Schéhérazade and Contrasts: Serenade, Rite of Spring (new production) and Etudes (new production).

I queued up today for tickets and got what I wanted or close enough, but in each case further round than I expected. I suspect that demand for the cheaper seats has been very high through the Friends' organisations.

From what I can see on the ROH online booking system, there are still tickets available for all performances. However, it seems that some areas are already sold out and now that casting details have been published, the pace of ticket buying may quicken.

Le Corsaire here I come! I just got a couple of champagne superseats for July 22, Tuesday - I am hoping that that means that I am sitting around drinking champagne saying "super"! ( I am a little concerned becausee this means that i am doing two nights of back to back ballets in London, and I don't want to hurt myself - ). By the way - what is the appropriate dress for the ROH on a Tuesday?

"I am hoping that that means that I am sitting around drinking champagne saying "super"!"

Matthew, you're clearly going to fit in with the UK haute bourgeosie, no problem.

I estimate that 90% of the guys in your seat block will be wearing lounge suits. But as you're from the Colonies, some leniancy on the dress code will be permitted. Seriously, you can wear anything, but, wimp that I am, I tend to feel more comfortable in a suit at the ROH, especially in the posh seats.

Colin Southgate, the previous Chair of the ROH, was once asked about attire and he grumbled that he wouldn't want to sit next to someone in t-shirt and trainers. One reporter pointed out that the last time he had seen an opera at the ROH, he had sat next to someone in t-shirt and trainers - it was the opera's composer, Sir Michael Tippett.

The highlights for me will "Les Noces" and "The Rite of Spring". I'm in the North of England for the performance of the latter, but will return specially to see it....even though it means I will have to endure "Etudes", probably my least favourite 20th C ballet.

I hope you will have your lounge suit in your bag then Stuart. As I am going on week nights, I will probably be in suits in any event. When are you arriving in London Matthew - we will arrange to meet some of the CD people

How late do you guys think I could wait to buy student-budget friendly tickets to this engagement? I'll be studying for the summer in England and will likely try to see one of the earlier performances of "Le Corsaire."

How are seats in the upper levels of the Royal Opera House? Is there some sort of last minute standing room/rush type program - or will the Kirov be too popular for this and I should spring for nicer tickets? What do you guys think?

I would move as fast as you can art076. My impression is that it is the cheap seats that are selling fast.

Whereas the normal RB season has day seats set aside for the day, this is not the case for the Kirov season.

Although I usually sit lower down, the Amphitheatre (top level) has excellent sight lines and to see large scale choreography, it is a good place to sit, despite the height and distance from the stage in this 2,200 seater horseshoe-shaped theatre.

I'm pleased that London will have the chance to see plenty of Daria Pavlenko, who made a big impression on me in "The Prodigal Son" and Zakharova is also very welcome of course. While it is disappointing that some of the leading ballerinas are not coming, I suspect that as in the past, we will be blown away by some of the newcomers.

With Ruzimatov, Kolb, Kutnetzov, Zelensky, Korsuntsev, Fadeyev and others, there are plenty of very strong, experienced male dancers in the party for the ROH visit. Did you pick the dancers, Emma?

In the immortal words (well almost) of Rhett Butler, frankly Stuart my dear I don't give damn about the casting...I for one will be too busy luxurating in the sheer excellence in depth that is the Mariinsky to hyper-ventilate about the principal level casting. OK, I admit it. I would if I could, but since I have a choice of two evenings I just have to take what I get. The fact that that includes a smigeon of Makhalina and dollops of Fadeyev but less than one performance by Gumerova is OK by me. Seriously, too busy surviving in ballet desert land in this particular bit of the Continent to be anything other than grateful whoever fronts for the Company. However, I will admit to a pang that no Ilya "Mad Dog" Kuznetsov this time round. And picking up on the earlier correspondence about what one wears to Covent Garden, I am horribly conscious that I seem condemned either to sprint to the Opera House after work (hence boring work like black suit and stern but frazzled expression to match) or to arrive while on holiday (whence zen like chilled out attitude with sneakers and matching non-brushed hair accessory). At least now I know I blend in with Michael Tippett...

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